312 



Breding Range: Transcaspia E. to Turkestan and Alashan: Persia, 

 Baluchistan and N. W. India. Has once occurred in European Russia. 



Inhabits the bush grown steppes of Transcaspia and ranges E. through 

 Turkestan to Alashan. Loudon describes it as common in the Kara 

 Kum desert. Tristram says it is found at the S. end of the Dead Sea, 

 so probably it occurs in the N. Arabian deserts as well as in S. and E. 

 Persia, Baluchistan and the wastes of Sind, Bahawalpur and Rajputana to 

 the S. of the Punjab. Sarudny found a nest with young in a tamarisk 

 bush, which resembled a Reed Warbler's. Eggs still undescribed. 



b. Algerian Desert Warbler, S. nana deserti (Loche.) 



Eggs; J. f. 0., 1896, Taf. VII, fig. 1. 

 Sylvia nana deserti (Loche). Hartert, Vog. Pal. Fauna, p. 591. 



Breeding Range: The Algerian and Tunisian Sahara to Tripoli. 

 Has occurred once in Italy. 

 ^*^- Hartert describes this bird as haunting the desert plains between 



Tuggurt, Quargla, and Gardaia to the dunes betwen Biskra and Umasch 

 in Algeria : on Djebel Dekaris and near Galb-el-Assued in Tunisia and 

 near Oumsinerma in E. Tripoli. 

 Nest. Where the dunes are sparsely covered with small bushes and dwarf 



shrubs of various species this delicate and beautiful species makes its home, 

 building a deep nest, not unlike that of a Reed Warbler in shape, in some 

 bush. Hartert describes the nest as about 82 ft. from the ground and 

 somewhat conspicuous. It is composed of grasses, stalks and leaves, 

 interwoven with Qnaphalium blossoms and softly lined with down, wool, 

 cobwebs or bits of thread. Diameter of cup, 2 — 2i in., depth 2i — 3i in. 

 Eggs etc. Probably 3 in number. The ground colour is white or pale greenish, 



spotted with pale olive brown and pale bluish grey shellmarks and fine 

 spots, chiefly at the big end. Size (2 eggs) 14x11 mm, weight 69 and 

 59 mg. (Koenig); three eggs in the Tring Museum measure 16.5x12.4, 

 16.2x12.4 and 15.4x12. (Hartert in litt.) 

 Breeding Kocuig took a ucst with two eggs on Apr. 13, and Rothschild and 



Hartert found two empty nests, on which the birds were sitting on Apr. 

 14, but also found one with three eggs on May 6 at El Oued. 



149. Riippell's Warbler, Sylvia ruppeli Temm. 



PI. 26, fig. 20. (Asia Minor, F. C. Selous.) 



Eggs: (The figures in Thienemann, Fortpfl. Taf. XXII, fig. 1, a, 

 b, and Baedeker, Tab. 51, fig. 13 are erroneous). Reiser, Orn. Bal., 

 Ill, pi. Ill, fig. 3, 4. Dresser, pi. — , fig. 22—24. 



Season. 



